SeaWorld SD compared to SeaWorld Oz

[Our Aussie six]

Hello,
I am new to the boards so I apologise if I am posting in the wrong section.
My question is to those of you who have been to both SeaWorld San Diego and SeaWorld on the Gold Coast Qld, how do they compare? Are they similar or completely different?
We have been to SW on the Gold Coast 3 times now and will only have a limited time to spend in SD. Is it worth trying to fit in SW while we are there or should we use that time to do something else?
There will by myself DH and our four kids 16,14,10 & 18months.
Thanks for you help

 

[Montanabel]

Hello Our Aussie Six

We have been to both SeaWorld on the Gold Coast and SeaWorld San Diego (and SeaWorld Orlando many, many years ago). I really like Seaworld on the Gold Coast, I think it is one of our (Australia's) best parks. The dolphin show at Seaworld GC is much better than San Diego. At the GC the dolphins are the star of the show, the setting is pretty and you get to learn about the dolphins. At SD the dolphins do their tricks in big concrete pool and the focus is some story about some girl, doing something (to be honest I lost interest, if I want a watch a bunch of people doing acrobats and diving into a pool, I'll go to Cirques de Soleil). The polar bear exhibition at SD is much bigger but the setting at the GC seems more natural? The one thing SD does have that GC doesn't is the whales which I really didn't appreciate just how large they are until I got to 'stand' next to one.

SD does have a number of ride options, your teenagers might appreciate those (not sure what other theme parks you are doing) but if I was going back to San Diego, I would choose the Zoo. It has some animals that I had never seen or heard of before. It is very spread out though- they have buses to get around but if the bus is full, you might find you have to walk some distance and there are some steep hills (thinking of your 10 year old). We focused on the parts of zoo that contained animals we had not see before so we didn't have to do too much walking.

I have also heard that the San Diego Zoo Safari Park is good, but haven't actually been myself.

Good luck with your decision

 

[Our Aussie six]

Hi montanabel,
Thank you for your tips, the zoo is a must do for us and I can't wait to see it. We will have two full days in SD and one day will be spent at the zoo.
SeaWorld at the Gold Coast is beautiful, definitely no concrete pools. I'm sure my teenagers will love the rides at SeaWorld SD but they would have already spent a week at DL and CA and a visit to knottsberry farm, so still not sure if we should spend our last day in SD at SeaWorld or not?
It would be amazing to see a whale up close though

 

[aussie shaz]

Just a heads-up. No theme park will ever compare once you've been to Disneyland. We did Legoland after Disneyland and I was so disappointed. The kids liked it, but all I could do was compare it with Disneyland. LOL. Not sure if Seaworld will be a letdown after Disneyland, especially if you've already been to SeaWorld GC.

 

[Our Aussie six]

Just a heads-up. No theme park will ever compare once you've been to Disneyland. We did Legoland after Disneyland and I was so disappointed. The kids liked it, but all I could do was compare it with Disneyland. LOL. Not sure if Seaworld will be a letdown after Disneyland, especially if you've already been to SeaWorld GC.

Thanks I don't think anything will compare to Disneyland , I keep telling my husband this will be our once in a lifetime trip but secretly I know that once we've been once we will definitely be back again

 

[Montanabel]

Hi Our Aussie six, good to hear you are going to San Diego Zoo. Since you are already going to the Zoo, then SD Sea World would be my number two choice (unless you are going in mid-July then ComicCon would be number one). The whales are amazing and the opportunity to see them swimming underwater is something I will not forget.